


Tequila Sunset

by Jena Bartley (jenab)



Category: The Rundown
Genre: F/M, Yuletide, challenge:Yuletide 2005, recipient:Abby
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-12-25
Updated: 2005-12-25
Packaged: 2017-10-18 04:53:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/185248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jenab/pseuds/Jena%20Bartley
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mariana pays a visit Beck and Travis</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tequila Sunset

The sun was setting by the time Mariana found what she was looking for, brining a welcome coolness after a long, hot Los Angeles afternoon. The sidewalk was crowded with people, talking on cell phones or with one another, hurrying or merely wandering down the concrete sidewalk. The mass of humanity grated on her nerves. Too many people crowded together and no sense of space.

Mariana picked her pace up as she spotted the sign ahead. The sooner she was out of this crowd, the better. She didn't know how anyone could live in cities like this. Give her the dense foliage and humidity of her beloved jungles in Brazil over this any day. Plus her people were far more familiar and friendlier than the people she met in LA.

The restaurant was in a small, plain building set between two much larger buildings. A small sign hanging from the awning over the entrance read simply Beck's but for all the plainness of the building Mariana could see a great deal of care had been put into it. The building's walls were scrubbed clean of years of dirt, and they shone faintly in the lowering sun. Several sturdy and comfortable chairs and tables were arranged neatly in front of the restaurant, with a small wrought iron fence protecting the diners from the people walking by.

The whole building gave off a sense of welcome and warmth, making Mariana smile for the first time in days. Looking at Beck's, she found it hard to match this with the man she met down in Brazil.

Inside the restaurant matched the feel of the outside and fit perfectly with Mariana's image of what Beck had told her about what he wanted. The restaurant was simple, intimate but not crowded. There were about twenty-five tables seating no more than four apiece spread out in the narrow room. Lights mounted on the walls cast a soft, warm glow over everything.

There was no one in sight and the only sound she heard was a very horrible caterwauling coming from the kitchen in a voice that sounded very familiar to her.

"Dammit, Travis! I swear I'm coming in there if you don't shut up!" Beck's voice boomed from somewhere near the back, and moving further into the place Mariana saw him sitting at a table near the kitchen where the afternoon sunlight was still bright.

She couldn't help smiling as she heard the aggravation and frustration in his voice. He sounded very much like he had in Brazil whenever he was dealing with Travis. Irritated, angry, and more than willing to do physical damage.

If anything Travis' voice only got louder and more off-key, resulting in Beck thumping his head against the table top. Mariana laughed, wondering if Travis was just a bad singer or if he was doing this to irritate Beck. Her money was on bothering Beck and she wondered how the two of them had put up with each other for the last year.

Beck's head rose at the sound of her laughter, the frustrated look quickly replaced by a broad smile and genuine pleasure.  
"Mariana, it's good to see you again." He brushed his lips over her cheek in greeting as she came up to him.

"It's good to see you as well, Beck. I see you managed to open up your restaurant."

Beck's smile got wider as he looked around the place, pride and joy clear in his face. "Yeah. Been open six months now and things are going great so far. The clientele is slowly growing and I've even had a couple of good reviews in the newspapers."

"And Travis?" Mariana asked, grinning at the look on Beck's face.

"Travis is a royal pain in the butt as usual. He's been driving me crazy for the last year. I don't know how you put up with him living in your bar."

"He takes some getting used to, and it helped that he's not bad in bed."

Beck just shook his head. "That's one option I'm not even going to try. Anyway, are you here long in L.A.?"

"Just for tonight. It took longer than I expected but I sold the Gato last month in New York for a very nice price, much better than the minimum Travis told me to get. I've come by just to drop off Travis' cut of it." She gave him one of her most winning smiles, one he'd never seen before. "Of course if you are going to cook dinner for me I might be willing to stay a little longer.

Beck grinned at her. "I'm sure I can whip up something just for you, especially since with you here I will finally be able to get rid of Travis."

He sat her down at the table he was working at, clearing away the ledgers and other paperwork from the table. A piece of crumpled paper floated to the ground, which Mariana picked up. Unfolding it revealed a rubbing of several stylistic figures and objects.

"What's this? It looks Aztec."

Beck groaned as he looked at it. "Travis' latest obsession. He's planning on going after another statue of some Aztec god. Claims it has some sort of powers to help bring happiness and joy to people. He's been sneaking stuff like this into everything I read, wanting me to go along with him."

"Mariana!"

They turned to see Travis bounding out of the kitchen, beaming at her. He swept her up in a fierce bear hug and kissed her hard. Mariana let him get away with it for a brief moment before pushing him away.

"You're looking good, Travis." Travis was wearing loose jeans and a white t-shirt damp in several places as well as an apron tied around his waist. He was still as darkly tanned as the last time she'd seen him, and there was still the pent up energy rolling off of him as usual.

"I've been better. The big guy here has me working as his personal slave in the kitchen washing dishes, clean tables and whatever other meaningless jobs he can find for me to do."

"Not to mention giving him a place to stay and food to eat instead of throwing him out on the street as he deserved." Beck's voice was dry as the two men glared at one another for a moment before turning back to her.

Mariana just shook her head, greatly amused by the two of them. "Then you will be pleased to know, Travis, I have your share of the cut from the Gato's sale." She pulled out a cheque from her purse, handing it over to him.

"All right!" Travis lunged for it only to have Beck intercept the handoff. He folded it up and tucked it in his back pocket.

"Hey!" Travis glared at Beck and moved to retrieve the cheque only to have Beck easily hold him off.

"You'll get it when your shift is over tonight and after I deduct the cost of the past year's living expenses.

A wounded look crossed Travis' face. "That hurts, Beck, that you opening up your home to me the past year was nothing more than a money grab at my fair share of the Gato's sale. Did I mean so little to you that you would wound me like this?"

The moment was ruined by the tiny upward quirk of Travis lips. Mariana snickered as Beck glared at him and pointed to the kitchen. "Back or I will make sure you never see a penny of this."

Travis slunk back into the kitchen but not before kissing Mariana on the cheek.

"That's quite an act you two have going on." Mariana grinned up at Beck, who was looking very exasperated over Travis.

"Yeah, well Travis can kind of grow on you after awhile. I'm going to get started on your supper."

Beck disappeared into the kitchen. A few minutes later Mariana heard him and Travis arguing loudly but when there was no banging or things being broken she left the two of them alone. Instead she reached for the Aztec drawing Beck had thrown away and found several more pages Travis had hidden in Beck's paperwork. Reading them kept her busy while delicious smells started to waft out from the kitchen. A few people had also come in, including one waitress.

About an hour later, Beck was back, brandishing a steaming plate of pasta that made Mariana's mouth water from the smell of it alone. He was also wearing a chef's uniform of black pants and white chef's coat that set off his broad shoulders and narrow hips. She spread a napkin over her lap while Beck opened up a red wine and served her. He stayed long enough for her to take a bite. The taste of it was delicious, exploding on her tongue in a mixture of flavours. She almost moaned at the wonderful taste of the dish. Beck grinned at the look on her face and disappeared into the kitchen for the evening rush of diners.

There weren't many coming in but Beck came out and greeted each of them, smiling and talking warmly to them. Some of them were obviously regulars who greeted Beck as warmly as he did them. Beck had created a place where a person felt at home, something that surprised her because she knew how efficient and deadly Beck was as a bounty hunter. He was also far more relaxed here in on his own turf than he'd been in her jungle.

Travis was also around, acting both as a waiter and bus boy. He and Beck kept getting in each other's way, snapping at one another, but Mariana got a hint of the friendship that had developed between them. Why else would Beck still have Travis as a roommate if Travis drove him nuts all the time. Watching them, she had a feeling Travis deliberately went out of his way to torment Beck, and Beck, for all his sternness and threats, seemed to enjoy Travis' teasing.

By nine the restaurant was empty and Beck had sat down with her with his own dinner. They ended up talking about her plans for the money from the sale of the Gato and her vision for her people's future. Beck talked about his restaurant and even opened up about his past living in a rough part of LA and how he managed to finally get out.

By the time they finished off a second bottle of wine, Mariana was feeling relaxed and content with good food and even better conversation. Talking with Beck reminded her of her university days spent in arguing over theories and facts. There was a keen mind behind his dark eyes, along with a very strict code he lived by of honouring his word and always seeking to solve things with words rather than violence.

It also didn't hurt that Mariana found him very attractive. Travis was a good fling while he was staying at her bar and she enjoyed every minute of sleeping with him, but she knew it wouldn't last, and thought Travis knew that as well. Beck was completely different from Travis, a big, muscular man who was strangely graceful and soft spoken. She wanted to explore his body, to uncover more of the tattoos she had seen revealed.

And the way he was watching her, Mariana was pretty sure he would want the same thing she wanted. She stretched out her leg to brush her foot against Beck's leg under the table. Heat flared in his dark eyes, sending a spike of pleasure through her. She smiled at him, even as her foot traced over his calf, watching his eyes darken.

"Would you like to come home with me tonight, Mariana?" Beck smiled at her, as he trapped her foot between his legs.

"What about Travis?" She watched as his eyes travelled downwards, pausing to take in how her nipples were pressing against her shirt.

"After he cleans up in here, he always hits the clubs. Probably won't be back till morning."

Mariana stood up, Beck looking up as she did. He was slouched in his chair, legs spread enough for her to step between them. She ran her fingers down his cheek before leaning down to kiss him, her tongue flicking out to tease his lips.

"I would love to come home with you, Beck."

The next morning, Mariana slid out of bed quietly and got dressed. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she trailed one hand lightly down Beck's spine, watching him stir, eyes flickering open. Seeing her sitting on the bed beside him, he smiled sleepily at her before rolling over.

"Good morning. I have to get going but I wanted to give you this before I left." She held out a cheque to him.

Beck took it, raising an eyebrow at the numbers written on it. "You don't have to do this."

Mariana grinned at him. "Consider it an investment. Besides the money came from Travis's cut of the Gato. Consider it the cost of his room and board."

Beck laughed.

"Good bye, Beck, and good luck with your restaurant. And when you come down to Mexico, make sure you also take the time to come visit me."

Beck snorted. "I'm not going, no matter how much Travis begs."

Mariana only smiled down at him.

In the kitchen, she found Travis wide awake and making breakfast. His mouth dropped open when he saw her coming out of Beck's bedroom.

"You slept with him? Even though I'm here?"

She brushed her lips over his cheek. "Yes. I wanted to know why you keep calling him `big boy'".

Travis spluttered and turned red as Mariana laughed at him. "Take care of each other, Travis and try not to get into to much trouble. And make sure you come to visit me after you find your Aztec god."

  



End file.
